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Wondering what to bring to Europe? Adding a these Europe travel essentials to your luggage will help make your trip a lot easier. Travel in Europe can be a little bit frustrating at times but my list of the best travel accessories for Europe will help keep you calm, comfortable and safe.
We spent 5 weeks traveling around Europein 2015 and four months traveling around Europe in 2018 as a family and, while it wasn’t always easy, it was a lot of fun. My list of things to to take to Europe is partly made up of items we packed ourselves. It also included a couple of European travel essentials that I wished we had along the way but didn’t, like a portable Wifi device or a physical guidebook, and because we didn’t have them we got into frustrating or expensive situations. Hopefully my list ofthings you need when traveling toEurope will prevent you from making the same mistakes we did!
What You'll Find in This Post
11 Best Travel Accessories for Europe
My picks for the top travel essentials for Europe to make your trip easier, safer and less frustrating. All of these items are pretty reasonably priced and are definitely worth it.
Eye Mask
Add this to the top of your list ofthings to pack for Europe! For some reason, hotels and Airbnb apartments in Europe don’t have great curtains and blinds. An eye mask will really help you sleep well especially if you’re headed to Northern Europe in the summer. It’ll also help you sleep on the plane and get over jet lag faster after a long flight.
You can buy thismemory foam eye mask here.
Headphone Splitter
One of my essentials for traveling to Europe is a headphone splitter. Why? If you’re travelling by train or budget airlines then you a can share a device and watch a movie on the ipad or laptop together. It’s such a simple, cheap item to throw in your your laptop bag or backpack and makes such huge difference.
You can buy headphone splitters on Amazon very cheaply here.
Using Headphone Splitters to Watch a Movie on the Train in Switzerland
Slash Proof Bag
A slash proof bag is definitely one of my top picks for travel necessities for Europe. If you’re concerned about the safety of your belongs then a slash proof bag or backpack will put your mind at ease when you’re out and about sightseeing at busy tourist attractions. I have this cross body purse by Travelon which works great. It’s large enough to carry a water bottle, guidebook, camera, wallet etc but not heavy or bulky. The actual bag is reinforced with a slash proof mesh and the shoulder strap has an internal wire that also prevents slashing. It has an RFID pocket too to keep your credit card details safe and secure. You can read my complete guide to the best crossbody bags for travel.
If you don’t want a bag or purse, then look for slash proof backpacks like this one also by Travelon.
RFID Blocking Travel Wallet
Europe has problems with credit card fraud. Our card was skimmed right at the start of our five week trip and our bank cancelled it right away which was a huge pain! I would definitely recommend using a wallet with RFID blocking technology to prevent credit card fraud and identity theft. It’s atravel necessities Europe travelers should choose if they want to keep their personal information safe and secure. The purse I mentioned above has an RFID blocking compartment but if you don’t buy that then definitely pick up acheap RFID blocking wallet like thisfor your trip.
You can purchase thisRFID Blocking Travel Wallet here. It comes in 8 cool colors.
Plug Adaptor
A plug adaptor is one of the most important Europe travel necessities! You’ll need it tocharge your laptop, camera, phone and any other electronic devices you bring along on your trip to Europe. Definitely bring it with you! We accidentally forgot to pick up an adaptor on our trip to Europe and spent the first two days in Paris without one. We looked everywhere! And just couldn’t find an adapter to convert our New Zealand plugs to European ones. We had to wait until we went back to the airport for your flight to Barcelona before we could find one. We were able to charge our iphone by plugging the USB cord into the back of the TV and modem in our Airbnb luckily. But no computer for 48 hours was tough considering we work online.
Anyway! Pick a good plug adapter like thisthat you can use forany countryand also has slots for USB charging. That way you don’t need to bring the wall adapter for your iphone, just plug the USB cord straight into this adapter.
Click here to buy theIspira Plug Adaptor.
Power Bank or Portable Charger
When you’re out and about taking photos all the time you can quickly run the battery on your phone or camera into the ground. Don’t miss out on capturing precious memories because of a flat battery!Bring along a portable charger / powerbank to save your butt when your battery dies. It’s simple to throw in your day bag and have at the ready. Just remember to charge it again at the end of the day if you’ve used it. Power banks likes these can hold afull charge for an iphone and weigh less than an egg and is the size of a lipstick.
Instagram Paris on the Go!
European SIM card or Portable Wifi Device
Free wifi is hard to find in Europe and data roaming can be very expensive. We got a data only SIM card from MTX Connect that allowed us to use maps, social media, check hotel bookings, send emails etc from our phone while we traveled across Europe. You can get 2GB for a month which is plenty so long as you’re not streaming videos. You do have to order it in advance as they post it to you from Europe so allow enough time to get one before your trip.
If you don’t want to take your sim card from home out of your phone, then get a portable wifi device to bring along instead. This one from TEP Wireless is very popular with several travelers we know although I haven’t tried it out myself yet. It costs $9.95 per day for unlimited internet in Europe. This is often cheaper than paying for hotel wifi so not a bad deal at all.You can get the TEP Wireless device here.
Guidebook
Don’t under estimate having a physical Lonely Planet guidebook. They’re useful for planning but they’re also very handy things to bring to Europe for your day to day sightseeing, understanding the sights you’re visiting and offline maps if you can’t get wifi (see above!). If you’re flitting around to a lot of different cities, get a general Europe or country guidebook. If you’re spending longer in just a few cities, then the pocket guidebooks to individual cities are great and usually include a pull out map.
Comfortable Pair of Shoes
You’ll be doing a lot of walking on your trip to Europe so make sure you pack a comfortable pair of shoes that you can walk all day in without getting sore feet. Sketchers Go Walk shoes are my absolute favourite shoes for travel. They’re light as air and made with memory foam soles so stay comfortable all day. If you’re traveling to Europe in summer or spring, definitely throw in a comfortable pair of sandals too.Check prices on the Sketchers walking shoes here.
>>> You can read my list of the best travel shoes for Europe in every season in this post.<<<
Packing Cubes
Using packing cubes is my #1 tips for how to pack for Europe. Packing cubes compartmentalize your luggage, help you pack light and keep your belongs organized. A set like these ones are great. They’re super versatile and will allow you to pack your tops, bottoms and underwear separately making it easy to find what you need when you need it.
>>>You can read my full guide to picking the best packing cubes here.<<<
Check prices on this packing cubes set here.
Laundry Detergent Sachets
A pack oftravel laundry detergent sachets or these little laundry detergent sheets make it quick and easy to wash your items in a hotel sink in the evening and leave them to dry overnight. Hotel laundry is expensive and there are rarely self-service laundries in hotels in Europe. A travel sink stopper is also a good idea. It’s cheap and easy to throw in your luggage without taking up much space or weight.
Reuben Chasing Pigeons in Milan, Italy
Questions or Comments on My Europe Travel Essentials
Got a question about something on my list of essentials for European travel? Leave me a comment below and I’d be glad to answer your questions.
More Useful Posts About Packing for Europe
- If you’re travelling in Europe soon then check out my pick for the best backpack for Europe! (Coming soon!)
- Need a complete list of what to bring when traveling to Europe? Here’s my complete European packing list.(Coming soon!)
- Going on a European cruise? Read my packing list for cruising in Europe here.(Coming soon!)
- 10 Tech Tips for Travelling in Europe
- Stylish Walking Shoes for Europe – Pick the Best Travel Shoes for Europe!
- Best Travel Purse for Europe
- Best Travel Tote for Europe
- Best Anti Theft Backpacks 2019 – For Every Type of Trip!
- Best Carry On Backpack 2019: The Best 40L Backpack for Travel
Flashpacker Family in front of Sagrada Familia, Spain
Visiting Europe with Kids
Visiting Europe with kids? Here are some posts that will help you out:
- 40 Tips for Traveling to Europe with Kids
- 10 Tough Things About Travelling in Europe with Kids (And How to Make It Easier)
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